


Princess Saria and the Curse of the Kokiri

by ImpureElegance (Nerdy_Girl)



Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 15:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9613550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdy_Girl/pseuds/ImpureElegance
Summary: Princess Saria is the ruler of the Kokiri tribe, who have been cursed to never leave the forest lest they want to die. Tales of a princess liberating them from their curse proves to be more than just a story. AU, no pairings. Based loosely off of Shalott by Emilie Autumn.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again guys! I got the inspiration to write this from Emilie Autumn. The drawing down below is what I drew for this au.

There once was a princess who lived deep within a forest. She ruled the Kokiri, a race of people blessed to be children forever, yet cursed to dwell within the forest for just as long. Princess Saria was a humble monarch, and besides the leaf crown and dark green cloak she wore, she dressed just like any other citizen in her timberland kingdom. She was adored by everyone whose life she graced, and regarded as a mother figure by those closest to her.

As of late, she took notice that her people began to become curious of the outside world. They’d been warned of the many dangers of the Outside, as they call it, and taught that they were cursed, but there also were tales of a princess who would one day rise to break them free of their confines. So, naturally the noble Princess Saria would bring this up to her counsel during their next meeting.

“What?!” Mido exclaimed. “Princess Saria, you don’t think you’re the one who will break the curse, do you?”

The green haired girl smiled. “I have felt a tug towards the Outside for some time now. My people, our people, deserve the chance to watch the sun rise and set. They deserve to smell the air of the Outside, and they deserve the chance to explore the unknown. Mido, it is time.”

One of the Know-It-All brothers raised his hand. “Your Highness, the Outside is home to many monsters. If the curse doesn’t kill you, they surely will.”

Saria looked outside the window of her treehouse as she spoke. “So be it. I am willing to face that consequence if it means I have opportunity to free us of this curse.”

Mido sighed and laughed. “There’s nothing I can say to make you rethink going to the Outside, is there?”

The determined princess shook her head. “This is my destiny,” she said knowingly. “I am going to see the Great Deku Tree, then I will be on my way.”

And that she did. She gracefully walked out of the treehouse and started towards the Great Deku Tree, their guardian deity. Before long she stood before him and bowed in respect. “O, Great Deku Tree. I feel the time has come for me to break the curse of the Kokiri. Please, tell me what I must do to succeed in completing this task.”

The guardian hummed. “I sense that thou, Princess Saria, art the one who hast come to break the curse put on thy people. Many before you have stood in that very spot asking of me to tell thee of the secret to breaking it, but it is thou who shall hear the full truth.”

Saria sat down in the plush grass and waited for him to complete his story.

“I am sure that thou hast heard the tales of a Kokiri princess rising to break the curse of her people. However, there is one detail that hast been lost over the years. I, too, have been cursed by the witch who hast cursed thee. Long ago the witch had a child who wandered into the Lost Woods and became lost. The child turned into a Skull Kid, and when she found out she became angry at me for not protecting him, so she put a spell on my children and I so that we may be bound to the forest for eternity, and if one of the Kokiri left, they would die an agonizing death. This curse is slowly making me wither away. Dost thou understand, Princess Saria?”

The girl nodded, everything finally coming together.

“Good. Thou hast accepted thy fate of being the one chosen by the goddesses to break this curse. You must go to Hyrule and seek out its princess, get the Royal Treasure, and she shall tell thou what is to be done from there. Beware, for it is true that there are monsters in the outside world. And with this curse, if thou do not hurry, thou may perish before reaching Hyrule Castle.”

Saria nodded again. “Great Deku Tree, I am willing to risk it all to unbind my people from the forest! I believe this is my fate, and who am I to get in the way of that?”

The Great Deku Tree hummed in approval. “Thou must go and pull the Kokiri knife from its pedestal, and equip with thee a shield. Hurry, for there is little time for the both of us.”

Jumping up, Princess Saria ran off to find the Pedestal of the Forest to pull the Kokiri knife, and she was given a Kokiri shield. By the time she was ready to leave, everyone in the kingdom was gathered near the entrance waiting for her, some of them scared, and others supportive, believing in their naïve hearts that she would be back soon.

“My people, I am doing this for you, because I believe that you deserve to see the Outside. It matters not whether I live or die, as long as I break this curse.”

The other children cheered and watched her off. Saria ran out of the forest into the Outside, marveling at how beautiful it was. But, there was no time to be awestruck. At full speed, she dashed off in search of Hyrule Castle. After what felt like a couple of hours, Saria thought she’d never make it. Her heart beat as though it were about to burst out of her chest at any second, and her legs felt heavy and numb.

The young princess stopped to catch her breath. She could feel her body becoming weaker by the second. Just before she was about to start running again, she heard someone come up behind her on a horse.

“Hello Miss. Are you alright,” asked the mystery person. He had bright, blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a tunic akin to the people in her kingdom. He eyed her worriedly.

“S-sir! I have not the time to explain much, but could you please escort me to Hyrule Castle? I am the Princess of the Forest in seek of Princess Zelda! If I do not make it there soon, I will die,” the green haired girl gasped out.

Wordlessly he helped her onto his horse and rode off towards the drawbridge. Once they made it to their destination, he helped her down. “I never caught your name, Princess.”

The princess’s legs were wobbly at this point. “I am Saria. And you?”

“My name is Link,” he answered, a smile on his face. “I know you don’t have the time, but please hear me out! Once you arrive near the castle, climb up the vines, sneak past the guards, and jump into the water to swim to the back. Crawl in the hole and sneak past the guards to make it to the courtyard. You’ll know what to do from there on.”

“Thank you, Sir Link. May the goddesses smile down upon you,” she said, before running off. She dodged and weaved through the many people of the castle town, eventually coming upon the castle.

Saria followed Link’s directions and soon was standing before Princess Zelda. By now, she was very weak and collapsed in front of her.

“Child, what ails you,” Zelda asked as she rushed to her side and cradled her in her arms.

“Prin…cess… Z-zeld-a…” Saria rasped out. “I… am here… in search of… the… Royal Treasure…”

“I knew you’d come here, child. I had a dream of this day, and I’ve read the legends. You seek the Ocarina of Time to break the curse put on your people, don’t you?”

Weakly, Saria nodded.

“So it is true. You may have it. But in the state you’re in, you may not make back to the forest alive…”

“Zelda!”

The older girl looked up to the origin of the voice. “Link?”

Link ran up to them. “I had to check and see if she made it here. She was very weak when I gave her the directions to see you.”

She looked down at the young girl in her arms. “Princess of the Kokiri, I cannot restore you fully to your healthiest state, but receive this.”

Closing her eyes, Zelda put one hand on Saria’s forehead and the other on her chest, a golden light emitting from them. When she was done healing her, Zelda heaved a labored sigh. She helped her up. “Do you feel any better?”

“Yes, a little.”

“My healing will not last long, so I need you, Link, to take her to the forest. When you arrive there Princess, go to the Forest Temple and awaken yourself as a sage,” Zelda said, handing the Ocarina of Time to her.

Link kneeled in front of Saria. “My legs are longer than yours, so allow me to carry you out of here.”

She got onto Link’s back and they bid Zelda farewell and were off to the forest. He put her on Epona first before getting on behind her. As they rode towards Kokiri forest, he noticed Saria’s health was rapidly deteriorating once more. He helped her off when they made it near the entrance.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

The Kokiri girl nodded. “Yes. You have done so much for me in the little time we have known each other. Thank you. I do not want to pester you anymore,” she said, flashing him a weak smile. With that, she turned around and ran in the forest.

When she was inside the other children cheered and celebrated her return. It was short lived, however, as she collapsed once more in front of everyone.

“Oh, Princess Saria,” one child shouted.

There was an uproar at her collapse. Mido shoved everyone out of the way. “Move! I know exactly what to do.”

He picked her up and carried her to the pool near the shops. He dropped her into the crystal clear water, submerging her completely before picking her up.

She gasped, life returning to her body. Saria looked around in surprise as everyone crowded around her, all speaking at once and asking questions.

“Leave her alone! Let her breathe a bit,” Mido snapped, pushing everyone away from her. He finally turned towards her. “Are you okay, Princess?”

She nodded slowly. “Yes, but I have not broken the curse yet,” she said. She got up and ran. “I must finish what I have started! I promise I will free us all!”

Saria knew exactly where the Forest Temple was. She navigated herself to the temple, killing enemies along the way. When she made it to the familiar spot she remembered she could not access the temple.

Saria couldn’t hold the tears back. She wept in front of the broken stairs. She fell to her knees, heartbroken. She promised her subjects she would break the curse. She risked her life to do it. She almost perished forever, and for what? Nothing.

“Princess Saria, are you hurt?!”

She turned around. “Link? Why are you here?”

He ran up to her and put his hand on her back. “I had to check and make sure you were okay. Why are you crying?”

Sniffing, she motioned to the temple. “I have no way to make it in there to awaken myself as a sage…”

Link examined the situation and broke out into a smile. “I have just the thing you need,” he said. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out his longshot. “This is too powerful for you, so hold onto me and I’ll take you up there.”

“Link, you are most kind,” the princess said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Link longshotted them to her destination and they both walked inside the temple. The pair fought off enemies until they made it to the main area of the temple.

A cool breeze blew through the area, carrying with it a tune. The tune would play every time a gust of wind hit Saria in the face.

“The forest spirits are singing me a song called the Minuet of Forest,” she told Link, who was hearing it as well. She pulled out the ocarina and played the song she was hearing, which caused the wind to get heavier. It encircled her and picked her up.

Saria closed her eyes to receive the message the forest spirits were telling her. The wind was so strong that it blew her crown and cape off.

“Link,” she said while still in the air. “Thank you for helping me awaken myself as a sage. I could not have done it without your help.”

Link looked on in awe as he witnessed her awakening.

Slowly, the wind placed her back on to the floor. “The curse is broken. Could you do me one last favor and tell my people they may stray from the forest now?”

“Why can’t you do it yourself?”

Saria smiled sadly. “No good deed goes unpunished, Link. While my fellow Kokiri may go to Hyrule, I am forever bound to this temple.”

He teared up slightly. “But, you went through so much just to break it…”

Saria looked at the ground to see her crown and cape. She picked them up and handed both to Link. “I was willing to pay the price to free us, no matter how dangerous it was. Tell the other Kokiri I said that I chose this for myself, and to not mourn my fate. As long as they can be free to roam the world, I am content with staying here.”

Link blinked away a few tears before nodding.

The Kokiri princess slowly disappeared right before his eyes. “May the goddesses bless you all…”

Wiping his face, he exited the temple and made his way out of the Lost Woods to tell the legend of Princess Saria.


End file.
